Incoming UN Ambassador David Lametti says Canada needs “all the evidence to come in” and be assessed before it recognizes whether Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza — and it usually follows the lead of a UN resolution or a ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“This is certainly what we’ve done in other cases where a genocide has been recognized,” Lametti said in an interview with CBC’s The House that airs Saturday morning. “There is an international body of authority that rules in that manner, and then Canada moves to recognize it.
“This is the position that Canada has taken for a number of years and we think it’s the right position,” Lametti told host Catherine Cullen.
He was announced Thursday as Canada’s next UN ambassador.
Lametti’s comments come days after a UN inquiry concluded Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had incited these acts.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN called the report “scandalous” and said it was authored by “Hamas proxies.”
The UN report cites examples of the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a fertility clinic to back up its genocide finding, adding its voice to human rights groups and others who have reached the same conclusion.
So far, the ICJ has not yet ruled on whether Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.
WATCH | Palestinians wonder where to turn to next:
However, it ordered Israel in January 2024 to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and also ensure that Israeli troops do not commit any genocidal acts in Gaza. The decision was legally binding, but the court had no way to enforce it.
At the time, the ICJ did not deal with South Africa’s main allegation on whether Israel is committing genocide, though it said it would not throw out the case, as Israel requested.
Lametti’s comments echo those made by Justice Minister Sean Fraser, who told reporters Wednesday that a determination of whether Israel is committing genocide should be based on a thorough legal process where parties “make submissions based on evidence.”
“This is not just an emotional question, but also a legal one,” Fraser added.
Canada set to recognize Palestinian state
Early next week, Canada is set to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. Prime Minister Mark Carney first announced the move back in July and said it was conditional on the Palestinian Authority holding an election in 2026 and committing to other democratic reforms.
On Monday, Carney confirmed he will proceed with the plans for recognition. While the Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada called last month for the matter to be debated in Parliament, no party tabled a motion on the issue this week.
Lametti said Canada is “taking steps to preserve the possibility and promote the possibility of a two-state solution in the Middle East. We think that’s the only fair and just way to move forward.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc speak with the media in Mexico City on Sept. 19. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
“We’ve seen horrific things happen, both in terms of what Hamas has done and what has been done in Gaza, and so we’re trying to help push, help support, parties who would like to see a just, two-state solution,” he said.
On Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand differentiated between “recognition” and “normalization.” She said recognition is “extremely important and necessary because the viability of a two-state solution is eroding.”
According to Anand, normalization is a process that “involves increases in diplomatic relationships,” including opening embassies and consulates as well as ensuring “there are processes for transfer of citizens between the two states at issue.”
“We intend to recognize Palestine, and that is much different from the normalization of diplomatic relations,” she said.
In July, Carney said Hamas can have no role in the election he proposed. He also reiterated that Hamas needs to release the remaining Israeli hostages and said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized.